DNA a form of Attention and Gesture

by Tom Carroll

I was listening to WBEZ public radio and there was an article on the creation of a DNA database at children’s hospital. Now there is nothing more basic than the gesture of life. The weird thing is that the DNA database will be used to create cures for diseases, those cures will be patented and then sold for a profit by some company. Who knows it may be sold back to a member of the DNA database that contributed to its creation. This is similar to use of biopsy wax blocks by Genomic to prove their product. The number and size of DNA databases are growing by the day. I have a wax block somewhere at the University of Michigan for use in a specific study. If one of my genes is the basis for some treatment or cure should I not be compensated? Should I at least be included in the patent as co-inventor? How does one protect and monetize their DNA?

The real issue is that we must be vigilant in understanding how our attention/gesture data is being used and when it is being collected.